Cost of Diabetes: AtlantiCare in New Jersey

David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Health coach Nipa Patel talks during the morning meeting for the Special Care Center operated by AtlantiCare in Atlantic City, N.J. The center pairs health coaches with chronically ill patients to help them manage their disease. The hospital also operates diabetes outpatient self management classes. Atlantic City demonstrates how a hospital system roughly the same size as Christus Spohn can help prevent diabetes complications while saving money.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Health coach Virgen Ramos takes a blood pressure reading from client Roberto Rodriguez, 58, of Atlantic City, N.J. AtlantiCare operates a Special Care Center, which pairs health coaches with chronically ill patients to help them manage their disease. Facing rising health care costs, even among its own employees, AtlantiCare in 2007 opened the invitation-only special clinic aimed at helping the chronically sick by pairing them with health coaches and offering them free medicines and office visits.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Health coach Virgen Ramos interviews client Roberto Rodriguez, 58, of Atlantic City, N.J. AtlantiCare connects every Special Care Center patient with a personal health coach who has continuous contact with patients, meeting them as often as weekly to check their progress and making themselves available 24/7 to their patients.$RETURN$$RETURN$

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times AtlantiCare, in Atlantic City, N.J., in 2007 opened this invitation-only special clinic aimed at helping the chronically sick by pairing them with health coaches and offering them free medicines and office visits.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Dr. Ines Digenio, medical director at AtlantiCare’s Special Care Center in Atlantic City, N.J., and Dr. Amanda L. Howard, a medical resident, listen to health coach Jayshree Patel talk about one of her clients. Patel’s sole job is to meet with patients, as often as weekly to reinforce plans to eat right, exercise, take their medications and monitor their blood sugar.$RETURN$$RETURN$

David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times AtlantiCare, in Atlantic City, N.J., operates a Special Care Center, which has treated 2,600 patients, including many with uncontrolled diabetes, and has produced stunning results: Reductions in blood sugar levels, a 40 to 45 percent decline in hospitalizations and emergency room visits and a virtual elimination of complications.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Emergency room tech Jennifer Mateo Rosa listens during a morning meeting at the Special Care Center. The clinic’s nine health coaches meet daily in a morning huddle to discuss their patients’ statuses.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Client Roberto Rodriguez, 58, of Atlantic City, speaks with health coach Virgen Ramos with AtlantiCare’s Special Care Center in Atlantic City, N.J. Health coaches have continuous contact with patients, meeting them as often as weekly to check their progress

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Dr. Ines Digenio, the medical director of the Special Care Center, listens during a morning meeting. The clinic’s nine health coaches meet daily in a morning huddle to discuss their patients’ statuses.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times AtlantiCare, in Atlantic City, N.J., operates a Special Care Center, which pairs health coaches with chronically ill patients to help them manage their disease using a team approach. Although the typical patient has diabetes for three to five years before they appear in the clinic, they are able to drop their A1Cs by 2.6 points, on average, within six months. Among the clinic’s 940 patients with Type 2 diabetes, only six are on dialysis.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Pharmacy technician Kisha Jerkins helps a client at the in-house pharmacy at AtlantiCare’s Special Care Center in Atlantic City, N.J. The invitation-only special clinic offers patients free medicines and office visits.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Cardiologist Dr. Sanjay Shetty (right) speaks with client Ghanshyam Mistry, 62. AtlantiCare, in Atlantic City, N.J., operates a Special Care Center, which helps the chronically sick by pairing them with health coaches and offering free medicines and office visits.

David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Pharmacy technician Kisha Jerkins helps a client at the Special Care Center’s in-house pharmacy.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Virgen Ramos (right), a medical assistant, talks about one of her clients with Medical Director Dr. Ines Digenio at a morning meeting.$RETURN$$RETURN$

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Client Roberto Rodriguez, 58, of Atlantic City, N.J., has his blood drawn for a A1C test by health coach Virgen Ramos with the Special Care Center. A1C tests measure average blood glucose levels over three months, giving a good indication of how well a patient is managing his or her diabetes.

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David Gard/Special to the Caller-Times Dr. Ines Digenio is the medical director of the Special Care Clinic at AtlantiCare in New Jersey.